Occasional Thoughts from Colombia: San Bernardo Snorkeling

When Oma was here we went to some islands off the coast of Coveñas and Tolu. They were super cool. First we got onto a boat that seated 20 people. We rode for 45 minutes out to the islands. The first island had a “zoo;” it was pretty cheesy. But then we went to the island where we spent most of our time.

The water was clearer than a swimming pool! The beautiful sand was white as paper although it was a little corally and ouchy on your feet. We swam for about two hours. Then we had lunch—fried fish (with lots of bones but delicious), coconut rice, patacon (fried plantains that are smushed and fried again) and a little drink of this gross soda called “Big Cola” that comes in, get this, apple flavor.

Then my parents forced me to go snorkeling against my will. I was sure I would die a long, slow death in the depths of the deep blue sea. I wasn’t really scared of sharks…it was the plankton that freaked me out. Actually, we had already been playing with lobsters on the bottom already and those claws are seriously oucheroni. But when I realized my adventurous grandma (over 65 and recovering from cancer) wasn’t scared and wanted to come too…I went.

And it turned out to be the coolest nature experience of my life so far (even though I think a few plankton did get me). We saw fish of all the colors of the rainbow. I held a baby starfish. There were huge sea urchins down there and coral everywhere. I was thinking of Nemo the whole time. I was a snorkeling prodigy (I also play the recorder well).